REPORT 



To the President and Committee, 



Durban Botanic Society. 



Gentlemen, 



I have again the pleasure of submitting this which is my 

 Twenty-seventh Annual Report, on the work at the Botanic 

 Gardens and in the Herbarium during the year. The weather 

 has been very favourable to the growth of the plants, and there 

 are no losses of any consequence to report. The Mango and 

 Litche crops were this season a complete failure, due to 

 attacks of the " Fruit Fly." Scarcely a single ripe and perfect 

 fruit was gathered. The Nursery has been again examined by 

 the Assistant Government Entomologist, and the permit has been 

 renewed. The fumigation house is in constant use, and every 

 care is taken to keep the young stock clear of insect pests. 



In consequence of the work done by the Corporation on the 

 flat, and by ourselves in filling up the pond at the bottom of 

 the Gardens, the malaria is now almost, if not, quite a thing 

 of the past. 



The Tea Room has been thoroughly well conducted by 

 Mrs. and Miss Malyon, and is fairly well patronised, especially 

 by visitors to the Colony, who are, as a rule, enthusiastic in 

 their praise of the Gardens, and also of the Tea Room, as the 

 Visitors' Book kept by Mrs. Malyon abundantly shows. 



I regret that in consequence of the pressure of other work 

 the Corporation has been unable to erect the fence along the 

 Sydenham Road boundary, as verbnlly agreed on, but it is 

 hoped that this work will soon be taken in hand, more especially 

 so as in consequence of soil having been taken away by the 

 Corporation employees for repair of the Sydenham Road, the 

 living fence of Aberia caffra has been in places damaged to a 

 great extent, and unsightly gaps are left in it, which are 

 frequently made use of by a certain class of people, who 

 occasionally visit the Gardens. The behaviour of visitors to 

 the Gardens is fairly good, but carving initials on the seats and 

 running or walking up and down the grassed embankments 

 still continues. The latter chiefly by children, but occasionally 

 by those who ought to know better. Some additions have been 

 made to the bye-laws and authorised by Government, they are 



